Site for sore smokers
Sunday, July 1, 2007 
I think I can predict how some people will respond to the news that Imperial, Gallaher and British American Tobacco have today launched a new website, Smokers Welcome. The site, say the companies, "will provide factual information, free of charge, on venues in the UK where adult smokers may smoke, drink, eat and socialise whilst remaining legally compliant" (or, in plain English, not break the law).
ASH won't like it. They want to force people to give up smoking completely so accommodating smokers is not on their agenda. I suspect the more militant smoker won't like it either, but for rather different reasons.
The reality, however, is that as of today, regardless of barring future developments, smoking is banned in almost every enclosed public place. Smokers therefore need information, now, that can guide and direct them to the nearest pub or club that can accommodate them in relative comfort.
I understand that 5,000 pubs have already been added to the database. More will follow. A search facility, say the companies, will enable visitors to input their postcode or a location and search for venues in their area. If you want a pub or club to feature on the site, ask the manager to send details and a photo, if available, to askus@smokerswelcome.co.uk. Or do it yourself.
In the meantime, if you want to check out the site, click HERE.
Reader Comments (32)
"regardless of future developments"
Even if the ban is amended???
Well, I took a look, Simon.
I hope I am not being too "militant" when I say that I dont need a website to tell me that smoking is not allowed in any pub or club in the British Isles.
I knew that already....
Militant smokers….I here first time this expression.
Not even anti smoking activists ever have used this word.
Simon,
Can you please explain what does it mean “MILITANT SMOKER” and can you name just one of them?
What a pity the tobacco companies weren't able to fight on behalf of their customers. I really can't imagine any outdoor provision coming clse to "relative comfort".
Luke, definition of "militant" includes "having a combative character; aggressive, especially in the service of a cause (eg a militant political activist)". It can also mean "belligerant" or "competitive: showing a fighting disposition". Based on these definitions I know lots of militant smokers and I'm sure you do too. And no, I'm not going to name one!
It's after midnight, watched BBC news, and local news (south) no mention of smoking ban.
STRANGE
Would of thought Brown would want any good news he could get, OR IS IT????
Simon
Hope you don't remove this comment.
THE PRESS IS GAGGED.
Simon, thanks for your replay.
I know what does mean “militant”, but, sorry I don’t know a one militant smoker and I never heard abut anyone that is militant smoker.
At least on this blog/forum I didn’t see any militant smoker.
Fighting with argument against fraud and insanity without intention to unlawfully harm anybody is not militant behaviour.
Attempts to organise formidable movement that can protect smokers against harassment, patronising, nocebo effect and robbery through high taxations of tobacco products is not militant behaviour.
I like to discourage any disobedience to smoking ban but disobedience to smoking ban is not militant behaviour.
I suppose you will disagree with me. Anyway, thanks again for your replay
I have checked out this website that shows you which pubs are friendly to smokers. In my area it lists a very few pubs with this claim. Not all of the pubs on the list even have beer gardens or pavemenont areas (I know others that do that are not on the list). Some of the ones listed boast seating for four. Others describe their area for smoking as 'the car park'. If this is the best that is on offer I won't be going out at all any time soon.
My spirits rose when I saw this website advertised, I thought, at least now I will discover which pubs are putting up proper covered areas that can protect us from the rain, heaters to guard us against the cold, outside lighting so that we don't have to sit in the dark, outside sound systems so that we don't have to miss out on the band, al fresco eating so that we don't starve - but what I got was car park. I am not a car.
I consider myself to be a highly militant smoker - I'll gladly wear down the most militant anti-smoker in debate to the flimsy 'but it smells!' defence - and I think this database is a fabulous idea.
First rue of effective civil disobedience: irritate by using the letter of the law.
Second rule of effective civil disobedience: get organised.
This site does both of these things.
One amusing thing, I looked up my local smoker-friendly hotspots and found one restaurant calling themselves 'smoker friendly' who brought in a total non-smoking policy TWO YEARS before the ban was voted on in parliament. So the only thing I can see that's missing is a social-networking style voting system to show up venues with dodgy pre-ban ethics, and reward venues who fought the ban to the bitter end.
Re: the weather. I have decided to 'make my own entertainment' just now (as a quiet protest against this ban). I am not being 'militant', but this month I am not spending money to support the new regime. Apparently the weather this month (July) is going to be very rainy indeed with the exception of the weekend of 15th July (so I have been informed) - this makes it easier not to go out and support this ban - it is as though Mother Nature is on our side, even if the human forces that be aren't!! I, too, have checked out the 'smokers welcome' site for my area and there is a distinct dearth of smoker-friendly venues. Ironically, we smokers have subsidised pubs all these years and stopped them from 'going under' and now there is so little support for us!
Tonikt; I have no problem with the owners of hospitality venues who voluntarily decided not to allow smoking on their premises before the ban came in. They were exercising their property right to do so. That is the same right that you and I still have to not allow an anti smoker into our own homes should we choose to do so. This is the most basic of all rights - to decide what can be done with and on our own property.
The smoking ban removes that right from the owners of businesses. It does not remove any rights that smokers had.
It is true that smokers are no longer allowed to legally smoke in any such places in the UK now. What has happened is that the government has STOLEN a right from everyone else. This is why the ban is so much more important than it is portrayed in the media by the likes of MPs and ASH, and also by the likes of FOREST. It is not about the smoker's right to choose to smoke or not on someone else's property. It is about the owner of the property having that right.
4 out of the 7 pubs in my Town are listed as "Welcoming smokers". Well yes, I guess they will welcome smokers as long as they don't want to smoke there! I also thought this website would be a godsend but obviously many pubs have listed themseles under false pretences. Obviously a car park is just not acceptable! Many pubs with a garden or outside seating area thought they could get away with putting off making proper smoking areas until the winter and I think they've all been caught out on day 1 (thanks mainly to the unexpectedly bad July weather). It is my opinion that only pubs where people can smoke AND drink in "relative comfort" throughout the year should be included in this or any other similar database or its a joke. In the meantime I am waiting for a warm, windless, sunny day when I can return to my local "smokers welcome" pub and enjoy a fag and a pint outside.
I agree Johnpb. I think it's an insult to say smokers are welcome if you can't be arsed to provide shelter and comfort for them. It makes me wonder about this 'level playing field' the pubs thought this legislation would bring. Seems to me that it did not occur to them that smokers will drawn to the places where they're treated with most respect.
There was a brilliant story today from a pub in Arundel, where the landlord forced non-smokers to stand outside for ten minutes every half-hour alongside the smokers. He said this was the only way to treat all his customers fairly.
Brilliant! :)
If I'm ever in Arundel, I will be kissing that landlord's feet!
Absolutely Poppy. I just hope many of the 12 million! of us smokers will vote with our feet and boycot pubs that obviously don't appreciate our trade (and I hope these places really suffer in the process). If that happens "relatively comfortable" shelters might well start springing up all over the country quite soon. Anyway this website sucks!
Bernie, it's my mistake for not making myself clear. The venue I was referring to made a market choice, yes. However, it was made very clear to me on my last visit there that not only were smokers not welcome - inside or out - that they did not advertise their new policy (after years of maintaining both smoking and non-smoking areas) and that they wanted to convey an exemplary corporate anti-smoking message.
To see the same venue declaring themselves 'smoker friendly' is hypocrisy bordering on insult.
I see. Yes that would make a big difference to me too.
It's the ethical versus the legal, Bernie. I defend the property rights standpoint absolutely, as it provides all consumers with freedom of choice. However, from an ethical standpoint, it's rank that there are businesses who chased the non-smoker pound by perpetuating the anti-smoking ethos and now they're forced to trade on an even playing field with similar business models, we smokers suddenly regain their eager accomodation. Might be my militant streak showing through, but these businesses need naming and shaming as much as the myth of the selfish and unethical smoker needs exploding.
I know I'd rather dine on a plastic basket of chips outside a street-locked pub, than eat a three course meal on the terrace of a chain restaurant who embraces prohibitive ethics as part of their corporate model.
Absolutely Tonikt and a point well worth making.
By now we should ALL be mititant to some degree or another. Pussyfooting with the antis just doesn't work!
Blad says By now we should ALL be militant to some degree or another. Pussyfooting with the antis just doesn't work!
You are absolutely right Blad. One of their main weapons against smoking is the use of the word "stink". They try to make us into outcasts by using this type of language against us. If we walk into a room where an anti is, they now say that they can smell us, our horrible clothes and stinking hair and ghastly breath etc etc.
We must turn the tables on them somehow. We must emphasise how the smell of tobacco is nothing more than the delicate smell of a herb, it is sweet, just like the smell of Basil leaves or Coriander. If they do not like this smell then there must be something wrong with them.
Can anyone honestly tell me that they prefer the smell of a car's carbon emissions than the smell of a sweet smelling tobacco plant gently smouldering?
We must also find a niche to put them into, a smell that we associate with them. Hypocrisy doesn't have a smell of its own does it? But seriously, I really think that we do need to turn the tables on them, let them feel what it is like to be lied about and made into second class citizens. All ideas will be welcome.
Hello, Here in Godalming we have the slug and lettuce ! They have made smokers very welcome, of course outside. But plenty of Ashtrays on walls for those awful butts. !! But Gather this awful government want to stop smoking even outside in public areas such as parks. For Good ness sakes us smokers lets all get together and Fight for our rights.!!!! Many people are utterly annoyed by this ban. what ever happened to the old snuggery? Also whats happened to FREEDOM OF CHOICE? This is such a Nanny state now. Let the pubilican decied These patio heaters are even worse for going green!! Whos next? The obese people or the drinkers? Regards AmandaH
I can accept the fact that many non smokers simply dod not like the smell of smoke - in fact the reason I have to smoke outside when I am at home is because of this, I live with three non smokers and I am respectful of their feelings (at home its not as though they have a choice to go elsewhere). The pub therefore was the only place that I could enjoy a cigarette in comfort (along with space from the world). Okay, so if you are a non smoker smoke may not smell too nice (we can't smell it). But the fact of the matter is that non smokers (antis) should admit that the smell is the beginning and the end of their argument. The 'passive smoking' argument doesn't hold water and I would have more respect for someone who said they just didn't like the smell. But if smell is the issue, while we are at it we should also bar people from restaurants and pubs who have offensive BO or who wear too much nauseating cheap perfume.
Peter, I partly agree with you in that the smell of pipe and cigar smoke is really quite pleasant. But as for ordinary cigarette smoke, that smells absolutely awful.
Robert -
I find cigar smoke unpleasant, though I can't smell cigarette smoke at all. It depends what you are used to and also on personal taste, which is why I have some sympathy for the argument about the smell. A choice between venues would have been a good enough measure to allow people to avoid smelling something they don't like though.
To create a law based upon what smells people like and dislike is absolutely ridiculous.
I do not like the smell of chewing gum, cheap perfume, oranges, mint, air fresheners, tarmac, burning rubber etc etc., but I certainly wouldn't dream of asking to have any of these things banned.
All this talk of smells is quite funny. As we here in Ireland have had the ban longer we know what smells there are now in bars. BO and cheap perfume have been mentioned but even non smokers admit that the amount of wind that is being broken in pubs is horrific. In the good old days someone could light a cigarette to mask it but that is no longer possible. Those smells are worse than any tobacco product yet invented.
Couldn't agree more Michael - without a smoke screen people in pubs will be able to smell the other people!
the smoking ban is in breach of human rights for some smokers such as elderly care home residents who will be obliged to be closed in a room containing only a table,chair and ash tray and no other comforts - this according to the regulating authority...A senior environmental health officer is employed at what expense to impart this ridicuous information.,and favours criminals by allowing smoking in prisons
Lynne, I would love to see a group of these care home residents take control of one of these homes and lock these ghastly Stormfuhrers themselves in these awful bleak rooms. Turn the heating up to its maximum and let them stew in their own juices for a few hours. These Nazi thugs need teaching a real lesson.
Well one week has passed as we all well know and smoking has gone but I really think its awful that we cant smoke on station platforms. They are outside for goodness sake !! If some poor person has an awul journey from scotland to London god help them. Where are the smoking police?!! This Government are so sad and pathetic . Regards AmandaH
There is a general theme running through this crappy, killjoy government. They have noticed that young people are smoking, drinking, having sex and generally having as good a time as is possible under capitalism. Clearly this can't be allowed to continue so laws are being passed to stop young people being happy and instead make them as miserable as possible. "Teenage binge drinking" is somehow something we are supposed to be concerned about. When did teenagers not drink to get drunk? I know I did. I had a great time. The miseries who run this country must have missed out this happy experience and now, dog-in-the-manger fashion, are determined to ruin everyone else's fun. I have utter contempt for them.